Pacific Coast, Western Mexico

After a bout of overdevelopment in the ’80s and ’90s — witness Ixtapa — the authorities have imposed some long-overdue regulation on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Fortunately, the region can still offer wild and pristine natural settings, such as the one at Las Alamandas, as well as manicured enclaves like Punta Mita, with its two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses. For a while it seemed that the once-glamorous city of Acapulco was about to enjoy a resurgence, but, alas, it has lately been infected by the country’s endemic problem of drug-related crime.

Colima is both an attractive city and a small state. However, the cultural and historical sites of chief interest are found in the state’s other major cities, Manzanillo and Comala. The landscape of Colima is dominated by major volcanoes: Volcán de Colima (12,533 feet) is one of the most active in North America and has erupted more than 40 times since 1576; 3 miles to the north, Nevado de Colima, is less active but even taller, at 14,015 feet.